Car-coupling.



No. 632,366. Patented Sept. 5, |899.

` s. REYNOLDS. cnn coupures. ication led `July 21, 1898.)

(No Model.)

, IN. '/I

STEPHEN REYNOLDS, OF VNORTHFIELD, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF` ONE- THIRD TO HIRAM E. OONLEY, OF CANNON FALLS, MINNESOTA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 632,366, dated September 5, 1899.

Application filed July 2l., 1898. Serial No. 686,517. (No model.)

To all whom it may con/cern,.-

Be it known that I, STEPHEN REYNOLDS, residing at Northfield, in the county of Rice and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Car-Coupling, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to car-couplings, and has for its objects to provide means for avoiding the constant danger to life due to handcoupling, to furnish effective and rapid means lfor coupling cars from either side, whereby the danger incurred by passing between the cars is avoided, and finally to provide a coupling of greater strength and reliability than the ordinary hand-couplings.

With these objects in view my invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and afterward specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention most nearly appertains to make and use the same, I will nonT proceed to describe its construction and operation, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speciiication, in which Figure l is a perspective View illustrating a coupling constructed in accordance with my invention, the coupling-bar having one end engaged in the draw-head of one car and the other in a position on top of the other drawhead and ready to drop in. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary end elevation showing the couplingbar raised to its inoperative position. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan View of the'coupling with the coupling-bar engaged in both draw-heads. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the coupling with the coupling-bar raised. Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of the coupling-bar detached from the coupling.

Referring to the drawings by letters, A and B are the usual draw-heads, which are duplicates of each other, so as to render them operative with either end of an adjacent car. The draw-head A is provided with a bracket D', projecting over the draw-head B, and the draw-head B with a bracket D, projecting over the draw-head A when the draw-heads are together, the forward under side of the brackets being beveled or inclined to cause them to ride over the opposite draw-head when the cars are brought together, and thus level yup the two draw-heads and holdvthe draw posed of an upright fiat bar or block providedA on opposite sides at each end with substantially spherical knobs or projections, as at G and G', the main body or bar being of a thickness to permit of its ready insertion in the spaces between the chambers of the drawheads and the projections or knobs being of a size to slip into the inner recesses Without contacting with their sides, the opposite knob on `each end of the bar being of a proper size to form a complete sphere when Jthe thickness of the bar is added to them.

H indicates a bearing-block, of which there are any desired number on the beam HQ secured upon and at right angles to the drawhead B to properly support a horizontal bar I, which is journaled in them and provided beyond e'ach end of the beam with a handle J. An arm K, projecting at right angles from the bar H, has its front end turned at right angles, as at L, and screw-threaded. This forward end passes through a slot M in the coupling-bar S andis secured therein by nuts N N. O indicates a bracket secured to the cross-beam H between the blocks H. The cross-beam H is secured to the draw-head B by means of metal brackets H2, secured at one end to the draw-head, then twisted quarter around and bent at right angles and secured at its opposite end to the beam H.

The construction of my invention will be readily understood from the foregoing, and its operation may be described as follows: The coupling-bar in its inactive position will be thrown up, as in Fig. 2, the arm K being IOO held in the brackets O. When the car approaches another, the bar I will be slid to one side through the block II until the rod K has passed out of engagement with the bracket O, when it may be turned down on the bar I as a pivot. The right-angled end of the arm K will now be seated in the outer end of the slot M of the bar F, which will permit the inner end to hang in substantially the position shown in Fig. 4, in which the knobs G will hang over the outer edge of the inner recess E of the draw-bar B. The further downward movement will cause the knobs G to pass down into the chamber E and rest on cross-bar E2 and the inner end of the bar F to pass into the space between the recesses C and E of the drawhead B. The forward or outer portion of the bar F and the knobs G will project beyond the draw-head, and when the draw-heads B and A come together the knobs G will ride up the inclined bottom of the chamber C and drop over into the chamber E', as shown in Fig. 3, resting on cross-bar E3, the forward portion of the bar F resting in the notch or space between the chambers C and E, the draw-heads having been leveled up by the engagement of the brackets D and hD with the opposite drawhead. The cars will now be coupled together, the strain of pulling being borne b v the knobs G, bearing against the outer walls of the chambers E and E] on each ,side ot' the spaces between said chambers and the chambers C and C. The provision of the slot in the bar F permits of the hanging of the bar at a considerable distance outside of its center of gravity when raised, whereby the lower or inner end drops to the proper position to engage in the chamber C and at the same time permits the pivotal end of the arm K to slide to the inner end of the slot when the bar is thrown down, thus permitting the bar when in its operative position to be projected farther from the end of the car to which it is hung.

Besides leveling up the draw -heads the brackets D and D will hold the draw heads and bars from falling and striking the ties in the road-bed, and thereby throwing the train oft the track, such accidents being liable to happen when the draw-bar breaks or breaks its key.

In Fig. 2 I'have shown hung on a hook on' the beam H a bar P, formed at one end as an ordinary coupling-link and at the other end P2 with balls to adapt it to couple a car equipped .with my coupling to an ordinary draw-head with the usual coupling-pin.

The advantages attending the use of my invention will be apparent to railroad men at a glance, and while I have illustrated and described the construction of the various parts I desire it to be understood that I do not restrict myself to the exact details of construction shown and described, but hold that any slight variations, such as might suggest themselves to the ordinary mechanic,would properly fall within the limit and scope of myinvention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

I. In a car-coupling, the combination of the coupling-bar, provided near the center of its upper edge With a slot extending lengthwise of the bar and inclined upward toward the car from which it is suspended, a crossbeamsecured to the draw-head, a cross-bar pivoted to the cross-beam, handles on the ends of said cross-bar, at the sides of the car, and an arm projecting outward from said cross-bar over the draw-head, provided with an angular end pivotally secured in the slot of the couplingbar, substantially as described.

2. In a car-couplin g, the combination of the coupling-bar, provided near the center of its upper edge with a slot extending lengthwise of the bar and inclined upward toward the y car from which it is suspended, a cross-beam secured to the draw-head, a cross-bar pivoted to the cross-beam, handles on the ends of said cross-bar, at the sides of the car, an arm projecting outward from said cross-bar over the draw-head, provided with an angular end pivotallysecured in the slot of the coupling-bar, and a bracket secured to the cross-beam above the cross-bar, the cross-bar being slidable in its bearings to permit of the engagement of the projecting arm, behind the bracket,wl1en raised, substantially as described.

STEPHEN REYNOLDS. W'itnesses:

IV. N. SANBORN, L. D. Mosns. 

